Old Farmer's Almanac
Encyclopedia
The Old Farmer's Almanac is a reference book that contains weather forecasts, tide table
s, planting charts, astronomical data, recipes, and articles on a number of topics including gardening, sports, astronomy and farming. The book also features anecdotes and a section that predicts trends in fashion, food, home décor, technology and living for the coming year.
Released the second Tuesday in September of the year prior to the year printed on its cover, The Old Farmer's Almanac has been published continuously since 1792, making it the oldest continuously published periodical in North America.
The first Old Farmer's Almanac (then known as The Farmer's Almanac) was edited by Robert B. Thomas, the publication's founder.
There were many competing almanac
s in the 18th century, but Thomas's upstart was a success. In its second year, distribution tripled to 9,000. The cost of the book was six pence (about four cents).
To calculate the Almanac's weather predictions, Thomas studied solar activity, astronomy cycles and weather patterns
and used his research to develop a secret forecasting
formula, which is still in use today. Other than the Almanac's prognosticators, few people have seen the formula. It is kept in a black tin box at the Almanac offices in Dublin
, New Hampshire.
Thomas also started drilling a hole through the Almanac so that subscribers could hang it from a nail or a string. Subscribers would hang the Almanac in their outhouse to provide family members with both reading material and toilet paper.
Thomas served as editor until his death on May 19, 1846. As its editor for more than 50 years, Thomas established The Old Farmer's Almanac as America's "most enduring" almanac by outlasting the competition.
In 1851, Jenks made another change to the Almanac when he featured a "four seasons" drawing on the cover by Boston artist Hammatt Billings
, engraved by Henry Nichols
. Jenks dropped the new cover for three years, and then reinstated it permanently in 1855. This trademarked design is still in use today.
In 1858, Abraham Lincoln
may have used a copy of The Old Farmer's Almanac to argue the innocence of his client, William "Duff" Armstrong, who was on trial for murder in Beardstown, Illinois
. Lincoln used an almanac to refute the testimony of Charles Allen, an eyewitness who claimed he had seen the crime by the light of the moon on August 29, 1857. The book stated that not only was the Moon in the first quarter, but it was riding "low" on the horizon, about to set. However, because the actual almanac used in the trial was not retained for posterity, there exists some controversy as to whether The Old Farmer's Almanac was the one used. In 2007, a competing almanac, the Farmers' Almanac, based in Lewiston, Maine, ran an article claiming that the almanac in question may have been theirs.
In 1861, Charles Louis Flint became editor and provided his readers with a heavier emphasis on farming. The next two editors, John Boies Tileston and Loomis Joseph Campbell, served short terms and made no format changes.
Robert Ware took over as the book's sixth editor in 1877 and served for 13 years before his brother, Horace, was named to the position in 1900. During Horace Everett Ware's 19 years as editor, he began to orient the book toward a more general audience by replacing the scientific agricultural articles with general features on nature and modern life.
The eighth and ninth editors, Frank B. Newton and Col. Carroll J. Swan, kept the Almanac tradition alive through wartime and the Depression
.
Roger Scaife was appointed editor in 1936. His term coincided with the only time in the history of the Almanac that its distribution declined and the book's financial stability fell into question. The 1938 edition had a circulation of less than 89,000, compared with 225,000 in 1863.
During his tenure, Scaife also committed the greatest of all blunders in Almanac history: In the 1938 edition, he dropped the weather forecasts. In their place, he substituted temperature and precipitation averages. The public outcry was so great that he reinstated the forecasts in the next year's edition, but the decision had already destroyed his reputation.
From 1943 through 1945, to comply with the U.S.
Office of Censorship's
voluntary
Code of Wartime Practices for press and radio, the Almanac featured weather indications rather than forecasts. This allowed the Almanac to maintain its perfect record of continuous publication.
, New Hampshire.
In the 1990s the editors decided to discontinue drilling the hole in the Almanac because it was costing them $40,000 a year and they felt that it was no longer needed. However, when the surveyed their subscribers, the response was overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the holes so the editors decided to continue drilling the holes.
In 1982, The Old Farmer's Almanac began publishing an annual Canadian edition. This edition is fitted for Ottawa, with calculations to answer for all the Canadian provinces, and features provincial weather forecasts as well as stories that speak specifically to the history, traditions, and culture of the country.
, the study of sunspots and other solar activity; climatology
, the study of prevailing weather patterns; and meteorology
, the study of the atmosphere. Weather trends and events are predicted by comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar activity.
Forecasts emphasize temperature and precipitation deviations from averages. These are based on 30-year statistical averages prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and updated every ten years. The most recent climatological normals tabulation spans the period 1971 through 2000.
Forecasts are prepared as much as 18 months in advance and presented in each edition by region. There are 16 regions for the U.S. and five for Canada in their respective country editions. Four additional regions are available on the Almanac's Web site, Almanac.com. These include Hawaii and Alaska for the U.S. and the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories for Canada.
In its bicentennial edition, the Almanac stated, "neither we nor anyone else has as yet gained sufficient insight into the mysteries of the universe to predict weather with anything resembling total accuracy." The Almanac claims that its long-range weather forecasts are 80% accurate. One disputing analysis concluded that these forecasts are at most 2% more accurate than random guesses. Pennsylvania State University meteorologist Paul Knight notes that the Almanac's forecasts are so vague that it is difficult to assess whether they are accurate or not.
In 2008, the Almanac stated that the earth had entered a global cooling
period that would probably last decades. The journal based its prediction on sunspot cycles. Said contributing meteorologist Joseph D'Aleo
, "Studying these and other factor suggests that cold, not warm, climate may be our future."
In addition to annual and biannual books, the Almanac has inspired a line of themed calendars including Gardening, Weather Watcher's, and Country (all for wall display); Every Day (with advice, folklore, and quotes in a page-a-day format); and a spiral-bound Engagement calendar.
Over the years, the Almanac has published several cookbooks, food-related magazines, and a guide for homeowners.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has also inspired a chain of retail locations called The Old Farmer's Almanac General Store. In early 2007, store locations included Mohegan Sun Casino
in Uncasville, Connecticut
; the Louisiana Boardwalk
shopping center in Bossier City, Louisiana
; and the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey
. Sparks, Nevada at the Legends at Sparks Marina shopping center.
In 2003, The Old Farmer's Almanac distributed a 32-page Almanac Just For Kids. The positive response led to the release of The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids in 2005, and the Almanac launched Almanac4kids.com. This site is dedicated to content for younger readers, their parents, and teachers, featuring interactive activities and exclusive articles that further explore topics found in the book.
Tide table
A tide table, sometimes called a tide chart, is used for tidal prediction and shows the daily times and height of high water and low water for a particular location...
s, planting charts, astronomical data, recipes, and articles on a number of topics including gardening, sports, astronomy and farming. The book also features anecdotes and a section that predicts trends in fashion, food, home décor, technology and living for the coming year.
Released the second Tuesday in September of the year prior to the year printed on its cover, The Old Farmer's Almanac has been published continuously since 1792, making it the oldest continuously published periodical in North America.
Early history (1792–1850)
There were many competing almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
s in the 18th century, but Thomas's upstart was a success. In its second year, distribution tripled to 9,000. The cost of the book was six pence (about four cents).
To calculate the Almanac's weather predictions, Thomas studied solar activity, astronomy cycles and weather patterns
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
and used his research to develop a secret forecasting
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
formula, which is still in use today. Other than the Almanac's prognosticators, few people have seen the formula. It is kept in a black tin box at the Almanac offices in Dublin
Dublin, New Hampshire
Dublin is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,597 at the 2010 census. It is home to both the Dublin School and Yankee Magazine.-History:...
, New Hampshire.
Thomas also started drilling a hole through the Almanac so that subscribers could hang it from a nail or a string. Subscribers would hang the Almanac in their outhouse to provide family members with both reading material and toilet paper.
Thomas served as editor until his death on May 19, 1846. As its editor for more than 50 years, Thomas established The Old Farmer's Almanac as America's "most enduring" almanac by outlasting the competition.
Becoming "Old"
In 1832, having survived longer than similarly named competitors, Thomas inserted the word "Old" in the title of his Farmer's Almanac, but dropped it from the book's title in the 1836 edition. After Thomas's death, John Henry Jenks was appointed editor and, in 1848, the book's name was permanently and officially revised to The Old Farmer's Almanac.19th and 20th centuries
Hammatt Billings
Charles Howland Hammatt Billings was an artist and architect from Boston, Massachusetts.Among his works are the original illustrations for Uncle Tom's Cabin ,...
, engraved by Henry Nichols
Henry Nichols
Henry Nichols may refer to:*Henry E. Nichols, Alaska, USA, politician in 1880s*Henry L. Nichols , California, USA, politician-See also:*Henry Nicols, haemophiliac who became a campaigner for fellow AIDs victims*Henry Nicholls...
. Jenks dropped the new cover for three years, and then reinstated it permanently in 1855. This trademarked design is still in use today.
In 1858, Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
may have used a copy of The Old Farmer's Almanac to argue the innocence of his client, William "Duff" Armstrong, who was on trial for murder in Beardstown, Illinois
Beardstown, Illinois
Beardstown is a city in Cass County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,123 at the 2010 census. The public schools are in Beardstown Community Unit School District 15.-Geography:Beardstown is located at...
. Lincoln used an almanac to refute the testimony of Charles Allen, an eyewitness who claimed he had seen the crime by the light of the moon on August 29, 1857. The book stated that not only was the Moon in the first quarter, but it was riding "low" on the horizon, about to set. However, because the actual almanac used in the trial was not retained for posterity, there exists some controversy as to whether The Old Farmer's Almanac was the one used. In 2007, a competing almanac, the Farmers' Almanac, based in Lewiston, Maine, ran an article claiming that the almanac in question may have been theirs.
In 1861, Charles Louis Flint became editor and provided his readers with a heavier emphasis on farming. The next two editors, John Boies Tileston and Loomis Joseph Campbell, served short terms and made no format changes.
Robert Ware took over as the book's sixth editor in 1877 and served for 13 years before his brother, Horace, was named to the position in 1900. During Horace Everett Ware's 19 years as editor, he began to orient the book toward a more general audience by replacing the scientific agricultural articles with general features on nature and modern life.
The eighth and ninth editors, Frank B. Newton and Col. Carroll J. Swan, kept the Almanac tradition alive through wartime and the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Roger Scaife was appointed editor in 1936. His term coincided with the only time in the history of the Almanac that its distribution declined and the book's financial stability fell into question. The 1938 edition had a circulation of less than 89,000, compared with 225,000 in 1863.
During his tenure, Scaife also committed the greatest of all blunders in Almanac history: In the 1938 edition, he dropped the weather forecasts. In their place, he substituted temperature and precipitation averages. The public outcry was so great that he reinstated the forecasts in the next year's edition, but the decision had already destroyed his reputation.
A new beginning
In 1939, Robb Sagendorph, founder and president of Yankee, Inc. (later known as Yankee Publishing, Inc.), acquired the publishing rights to The Old Farmer's Almanac and became its editor. Sagendorph had moved his family to Dublin, New Hampshire in 1930, and started the magazine Yankee in 1935. Feeling that tradition was the Almanac's strongest suit, Sagendorph immediately reestablished its format and editorial style to reflect the interests of the general populace much as it had a century earlier. He was fond of quoting Robert B. Thomas, who wrote in 1829 that the Almanac "strives to be useful, but with a pleasant degree of humor." Under Sagendorph's leadership, The Old Farmer's Almanac thrived and readership grew each year.A halt in publication (almost)
During World War II, a German spy was apprehended in New York with a copy of the 1942 Almanac in his pocket.From 1943 through 1945, to comply with the U.S.
Office of Censorship's
Office of Censorship
The Office of Censorship was an emergency wartime agency set up on December 19, 1941 to aid in the censorship of all communications coming into and going out of the United States.-Overview:...
voluntary
Code of Wartime Practices for press and radio, the Almanac featured weather indications rather than forecasts. This allowed the Almanac to maintain its perfect record of continuous publication.
Recent history
Sagendorph served as the Almanac's editor until his death in 1970. His nephew, Judson D. Hale, Sr., took over and kept the Almanac true to the vision of his uncle. In 2000, the editorial reins were passed to Janice Stillman, the first woman in the Almanac's history to hold the position. She is the thirteenth person to hold the title of editor since it was first published in 1792. Hale still acts as the publication's editor-in-chief. In 1992, the Almanac's distribution passed the four million mark. It is still headquartered in DublinDublin, New Hampshire
Dublin is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,597 at the 2010 census. It is home to both the Dublin School and Yankee Magazine.-History:...
, New Hampshire.
In the 1990s the editors decided to discontinue drilling the hole in the Almanac because it was costing them $40,000 a year and they felt that it was no longer needed. However, when the surveyed their subscribers, the response was overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the holes so the editors decided to continue drilling the holes.
Editions
The Old Farmer's Almanac publishes four editions per year. The only difference between the three U.S. editions is the city by which astronomical information is calculated and how tide times are presented. The National edition is fitted for Boston and the New England states; the Southern edition is fitted for Atlanta and the southern states; and the Western edition is fitted for San Francisco and the western states. Each edition contains calculations to answer for all the United States.In 1982, The Old Farmer's Almanac began publishing an annual Canadian edition. This edition is fitted for Ottawa, with calculations to answer for all the Canadian provinces, and features provincial weather forecasts as well as stories that speak specifically to the history, traditions, and culture of the country.
Weather predictions
While The Old Farmer's Almanac has always looked to Thomas's original formula to help with predictions, its forecasting methods have been refined over the years. Today, they also employ state-of-the-art technology and the use of three scientific disciplines: solar scienceSolar Science
Solar Science is an educational television series. The series appeared on the The Science Channel cable network. The program was hosted by Bill Ratner....
, the study of sunspots and other solar activity; climatology
Climatology
Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time, and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences...
, the study of prevailing weather patterns; and meteorology
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
, the study of the atmosphere. Weather trends and events are predicted by comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions with current solar activity.
Forecasts emphasize temperature and precipitation deviations from averages. These are based on 30-year statistical averages prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and updated every ten years. The most recent climatological normals tabulation spans the period 1971 through 2000.
Forecasts are prepared as much as 18 months in advance and presented in each edition by region. There are 16 regions for the U.S. and five for Canada in their respective country editions. Four additional regions are available on the Almanac's Web site, Almanac.com. These include Hawaii and Alaska for the U.S. and the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories for Canada.
In its bicentennial edition, the Almanac stated, "neither we nor anyone else has as yet gained sufficient insight into the mysteries of the universe to predict weather with anything resembling total accuracy." The Almanac claims that its long-range weather forecasts are 80% accurate. One disputing analysis concluded that these forecasts are at most 2% more accurate than random guesses. Pennsylvania State University meteorologist Paul Knight notes that the Almanac's forecasts are so vague that it is difficult to assess whether they are accurate or not.
In 2008, the Almanac stated that the earth had entered a global cooling
Global cooling
Global cooling was a conjecture during the 1970s of imminent cooling of the Earth's surface and atmosphere along with a posited commencement of glaciation...
period that would probably last decades. The journal based its prediction on sunspot cycles. Said contributing meteorologist Joseph D'Aleo
Joseph D'Aleo
Joseph D’Aleo is a Certified Consultant meteorologist and co-founder of The Weather Channel. He was chairman of the American Meteorological Society's Committee on Weather Analysis and Forecasting. D’Aleo was the founder and is a contributor at Icecap website...
, "Studying these and other factor suggests that cold, not warm, climate may be our future."
Related publications and entities
Under The Old Farmer's Almanac brand, Yankee Publishing also produces The All-Seasons Garden Guide, an annual gardening resource, and The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids, an Almanac-inspired book designed for children ages 8 and up. The latter is published every other year.In addition to annual and biannual books, the Almanac has inspired a line of themed calendars including Gardening, Weather Watcher's, and Country (all for wall display); Every Day (with advice, folklore, and quotes in a page-a-day format); and a spiral-bound Engagement calendar.
Over the years, the Almanac has published several cookbooks, food-related magazines, and a guide for homeowners.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has also inspired a chain of retail locations called The Old Farmer's Almanac General Store. In early 2007, store locations included Mohegan Sun Casino
Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville, Connecticut, is the second largest casino in the United States with of gaming space. It is located on along the banks of the Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is...
in Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville, Connecticut
Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut. The area traditionally known as Uncasville is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River...
; the Louisiana Boardwalk
Louisiana Boardwalk
The Louisiana Boardwalk is a shopping center combining retail shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. It is located in Bossier City, Louisiana, across from two casinos....
shopping center in Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
; and the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. Sparks, Nevada at the Legends at Sparks Marina shopping center.
Online presence
In 1996, The Old Farmer's Almanac launched Almanac.com. This online presence features the same kind of information found in the print edition, including weather forecasts, astronomy, folklore, recipes, gardening advice, history, and trivia.In 2003, The Old Farmer's Almanac distributed a 32-page Almanac Just For Kids. The positive response led to the release of The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids in 2005, and the Almanac launched Almanac4kids.com. This site is dedicated to content for younger readers, their parents, and teachers, featuring interactive activities and exclusive articles that further explore topics found in the book.
See also
- Farmers' Almanac
- Sumerian Farmer's AlmanacSumerian Farmer's AlmanacSumerian Farmer's Almanac is the first farmer's almanac on record. The farmer's almanac is dated to around 1700 to 1500 BCE. It was discovered in 1949 by an American expedition in Iraq sponsored jointly by the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago and the University Museum of the...
- Tung shingTung shingThe Tung Shing is a Chinese divination guide and almanac. It consists primarily of a calendar based on the Chinese lunar year.-History:...
- Yankee Magazine, a magazine published by Yankee Publishing Inc.